


Vigilante's End

by R3dsky



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 20:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10624959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R3dsky/pseuds/R3dsky
Summary: After many years of fighting crime in and outside of Gotham, the Batman decides to retire and leave the city once again in the hands of the Gotham Police, for now...





	

He heard the roaring long before he saw anything. While the roaring edged closer, Alfred prepared a glass of water on a serving plate together with some pain killers. His master would insist on taking those and wouldn't care about any side effects they might have. Especially because he couldn't be counted as young any more.   
Finally the huge black car stopped. Now it stood in the exact same spot from where it had left earlier this evening and the canopy opened. A man dressed as a bat came out. Dropping his cowl on the floor as he stepped up to where Alfred stood.  
“Mr. Bruce-” Alfred started.  
“Don't Al. I don't know what happened out there” Bruce Wayne said has took a sip from the water Alfred was holding “Thank you” he added.  
“Sir, are you sure? I mean, it can't be easy to overlook somebody who is wearing the same as you”  
“Not the same. It was an older model. One of the first Lucius made. No gadgets, only the armor. Have the police released a statement yet?”  
“Not yet, although I believe that they won't wait much longer. You have to go there and tell them what really happened”   
“And what is that, Alfred? Hmm? They won't listen. They only hear what they want to hear. They only see what they want to see” Mr. Wayne said sitting down and looking at the huge screen in front with him showing what had just happened.  
“Gordon will. I'm sure that Gordon and a few others will believe that you didn't kill that man. They always have believed in you and they will this time.” Alfred tried to reassure Bruce.  
“You don't understand! I don't want them to defend me again. It should be the Batman who's defending them not the other way around. I created him so that I could protect this city and its citizens. Unfortunately a lot of people don't seem to understand that and they want the Batman to leave.” Bruce turned sighing towards his Butler. First now Alfred realized how tired he looked “Maybe that is what they have achieved tonight“  
“You can't mean that! You can't leave. Crime might be very low at the moment at the moment but as soon as your disappearing gets public, it will rise again!“ Alfred burst out.  
“Yes Alfred, I mean that. Crime is low and it'll rise again sooner or later. So, either I leave or I die. That's the way it is now, I'm sorry“  
“No” Alfred said “You can't leave. You can stay here. You can help Gotham as Bruce Wayne. You can help people. You can help the poor. Although you haven't paid too much interest, Wayne Enterprises still exists!”  
“I have to leave. The Batman has existed for 30 years. It won't take much longer before anybody figures out who is behind that mask. In fact I had thought that people would have figured out a lot earlier. Luckily I was wrong. Now” he said and stood up, his body still looking impressive for his 50 years. “I believe that I forgot my phone upstairs. Would you be so kind as to get it for me? I have important calls to make”  
“Of course, sir” Alfred said and turned towards the elevator “Be careful” he managed to said before the door closed and he went up.   
When the doors opened again Alfred didn't react at first. It took some time for him to manage to step out of the elevator knowing that every stop he would take now, would take him farther away from him. He who Alfred had watched growing up. He who had lost both of his families. First his parents and later his friends. Now very few were left and nobody remained to help him. Nobody would talk to him. Except for Alfred Pennyworth. He had been there. Before crime alley and after crime alley. He had helped Bruce to defend himself before he went off to train with the League of Assassins. That was the first time Alfred had thought that he would never see him again. One of the first times. Now he was certain that he would never see him again.   
While Alfred had thought about the past he didn't notice where he was going. Suddenly he found himself in front of main door looking through the windows. Somewhere in the distance he thought that he heard a roar that could have come from Master Bruce Wayne leaving but Alfred couldn't be sure. 

It was getting cold. Colder than usual. He hated waiting. Especially when he didn't know what would happen. This time Gordon had a slight idea but couldn't be sure. With him it was never possible to be sure. From the corner of his eye Gordon saw a shadow sitting on a gargoyle and turned around. “How long have you been sitting there?” he asked.  
“Long enough to know that I shouldn't keep you waiting” the Batman answered. Even after all these years Gordon didn't know who was hiding under that cowl.  
“Well, what do you want this time? You are correct. I can't stay long. The whole city is looking for you and it won't be long until somebody looks up here” Gordon said, looking nervously around to see if anybody was watching them.  
“I know” the other one answered with a voice that Gordon recognized but had never connected it with the dark figure standing in front of him.  
“No way” the officer muttered “It can't be”  
“Are you so sure?”  
“No, I am not. Guess that's one of the perks of living outside of the city?”  
“Indeed it is” the figure said now moving towards Gordon, stopping a few meters away from him “And you really had no idea?”  
“Well, I had my suspicions but I would never have thought that it actually is you” the commissioner laughed.  
“Glad to hear that” he answered “I'm leaving”  
All happiness immediately vanished from Gordon's face. “You're kidding, right? The city needs you. They might not realize it but they need you.”  
“No. What they need is a good police not a violent vigilante who does what he wants and is never caught.”  
“That might be true. But where will you go? I can't imagine Bruce Wayne being able to not be recognized anywhere on this planet”.  
“I haven't figured that one out yet but don't worry about that Gordon, I'll figure something out. I always do”  
Gordon turned around to take a look over the city “One last question, why?”  
“Why what?”  
“Why sacrifice yourself for a city like this. I wouldn't even have bothered. It's hopeless. This city is hopeless!”  
“Then why did you join the police?” Bruce asked stepping next to the commisioner.  
“To protect this city and its citizens and my family”  
“There, that's all the reasons you need and I didn't really have anything to lose after Crime Alley”  
“Still sorry about that, believe me”  
“I do. But please, don't worry about it. Whoever did it is dead by now. That's probably as close as I'll get to revenge.  
“So, you did all this for revenge?”  
“At the start, yes. But as the years passed I began to focus on more pressing matters”  
“Like the Joker?” Gordon asked now turning around to face Bruce. To his surprise he saw something in Bruce's eyes although he couldn't identify it.  
“Yeah”  
“How come you never killed him? I mean, you would have had more than enough reasons to do so”  
“I swore an oath to myself. No matter what I'd endure, I would never resort to killing-”  
“Because it's too hard?”  
“No, because it's too easy. I could have gone around killing everybody who ever threatened the city and it would have saved a lot of lives. But if I had started killing, where would I have stopped? Would I have stopped?”  
“Wow” the commissioner said impressed “Maybe that's something you should teach the people”  
“No, Jim. That's your job” Bruce Wayne said “Good bye” and with that he jumped off the building and disappeared into the darkness of Gotham's streets  
“Good bye, old friend” Gordon said. For several hours he stood there just gazing over the city. First when he saw the sun rise he found back to himself and turned around. He started walking towards the staircase and might have not even noticed it, hadn't he accidentally looked back. There, on the floor lay a black shape. He walked towards it. It was the cowl. He looked at it. Not thinking about what he was doing, shrugged and somehow managed to pack it into his bag. Then he left the roof and with that his last meeting with the Dark Knight of Gotham.


End file.
